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The Vorpal Tribble
2005-11-21, 04:54 PM
Blizzard Willow

Colossal Plant (cold, incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 33d8+198 (330 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), Fly 60 ft. (12 squares)(perfect)
Armor Class: 4 (+2 deflection, -8 size), touch 4, flat-footed 4
Base Attack/Grapple: +24/-
Attack: Swarm (4d6 cold)
Full attack: Swarm (4d6 cold)
Space/Reach: 30 ft./30 ft.
Special Attacks: --
Special Qualities: Heat sense, immunity to cold, incorporeal traits, low-light vision, plant traits, vulnerability to fire, whiteout, whitesight
Saves: Fort +24, Ref +10, Will +13
Abilities: Str -, Dex 11, Con 22, Int -, Wis 17, Cha 14
Skills: --
Feats: --
Environment: Any cold land
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 19
Treasure: Blizzard Willow Nectar
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 33-68 HD (colossal)
Level Adjustment: --

The only thing one normally sees when they meet with this enigmatic plant is a great cloud of suspended, scintillating snowflakes that wafts in on a sudden gust of wind.

Seen as a whole however it is as a massive tree with a tall, stately trunk that seems crafted from the wind itself. From this ghostly form a spread of innumberable slender branches foutain out and droop to the ground. These are covered in seemingly delicate leaves and and occassional flowers that could have been carved from an artisan of faerie. From the bottom of the trunk spreads out a collection of thick, hairy roots that spread and grope like the tentacles of some crystaline jellyfish when it rises into the air.

Blizzard willows are grandly beautiful flora living within the deepest of artic climes. They may simply lie still for years and then without warning leap off into the air. Spirit animals in the shape of birds often roost within it.

Some say the blizzard willow originated from the Plane of Cold, passing unsuspecting through rare portals or transported by plane-wandering druids.

Combat
A blizzard willow is often attracted to signs of warmth for inexplicable reasons and will merely move overtop of anything from hunting parties to small villages, freezing the area solid. It is considered a swarm for purposes of attacking and deals 4d6 cold damage to any creature whose space it occupies at the end of its move.

Heatsense (Ex):
A blizzard willow can detect the presence of heat. Creatures that radiate heat illuminate an area comparable to a flame of the same size as the creature (see chart below). While within a sunlit area (even one that is overcast) a blizzard willow gains blindsight out to 120 feet.


Level Size Example
1 Fine Tindertwig
2 Dimunitive Torch
3 Tiny Small Campfire
4 Small Large Campfire
5 Medium Forge
6 Large Bonfire
7 Huge Burning Sack
8 Gargantuan Burning Tavern
9 Colossal Burning Inn
10 Vast Small Field, Forest or Village

Incorporeal Traits:
Blizzard willows are harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. It has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source, except for force effects or attacks made with ghost touch weapons. It can pass through solid objects, but not force effects, at will. Its attacks ignore natural armor, armor, and shields, but deflection bonuses and force effects work normally against it. An incorporeal creature always moves silently and cannot be heard with Listen checks if it doesn't wish to be.

Vulnerability to Fire:
A blizzard willow takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire spells and effects, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.

Whiteout (Ex):
The blizzard willow's frosty foliage is so thick that it grants the creature, and anyone within its space, complete concealment (50% miss-chance). Though it is difficult to see the blizzard willow because of its misty haze, the foliage itself is visible, provided that the area has sufficient light to by which to see it.

Whitesight (Ex):
A blizzard willow is immune to snow glare and can see normally in whiteout conditions.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Blizzard Willow Nectar

Only another incorporeal creatures or magical apparatus with the ghost-touch quality can harvest and extract the oil of the blossoms of the Blizzard Willow. It must then be kept in a force affect or mixed with ghost oil. If blizzard willow nectar comes into contact with normal ice or snow the frost itself becomes incorporeal. It takes on a thin, misty look but otherwise seems normal until it is touched. A single dose is enough to convert a five foot square.

The nectar must be kept in temperatures below freezing or it loses its properties. If the willow is killed before the nectar can be extracted the flowers retain their potency for 1d6 minutes.

Extracting the oil requires a DC 28 Craft (alchemy) or Knowledge (nature) check. One dose (vial) costs 30 gp.

bosssmiley
2005-11-21, 05:15 PM
It's Durkon's worst nightmare! A CR 19 tree. ;D

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=170

Where on earth did you get the idea for something so bizarre, oh pointy-toothed one?

The Vorpal Tribble
2005-11-21, 06:01 PM
Well, for one I'm working on a campaign in an artic world and have been making a good number of custom critters. What finally triggered the idea was a discussion on the Wizards forum that made me realize that I don't know of a single incorporeal plant.

The Vorpal Tribble
2005-11-21, 10:14 PM
Oh, btw, someone asked me what the good is in this nectar stuff...

#1. Perfect hideout. Pour it, hop in.
#2. Use enough and you can make great traps for things, specially if you put something nasty at the bottom.
#3. Something buried in the ice? Use the nectar and the ice becomes nothing but air, allowing you to explore this item at length.
#4. Again, have enough and you could tunnel beneath the frost.
#5. Ice door blocking your path? Ice wall? Simply sail through it with a single application.

Anyone have any more idea for its use, feel free to post ;)

Spuddly
2005-11-22, 12:49 AM
Chill metal + throw vial = incorporal armor.

The Vorpal Tribble
2005-11-22, 11:04 AM
Naw, chill metal only cools the metal, not make it into a water-based solid.

Spuddly
2005-11-22, 12:38 PM
Doh. Silly me.

Incorporeal snow wouldn't have any chilling effects, would it?

Colin_Archibald
2005-11-22, 01:07 PM
what about it being a grenade-like weapons towards water-based creatures. acts like acid to water elementals?

The Vorpal Tribble
2005-11-22, 02:55 PM
Incorporeal snow wouldn't have any chilling effects, would it?
Hrmmm, inclined at first to say no... but then again, the Willow is incorporeal but still chills folks out.



what about it being a grenade-like weapons towards water-based creatures. acts like acid to water elementals?
Why'd it be like acid to'em?